2018 Storyhive Spotlight: Dream Merchants
BizBooks.net is pleased to showcase a few of the local creators for this round of the 2018 Storyhive Digital Shorts Edition.
In this interview, we talked to Aimie Willemse about Dream Merchants.
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Can you start by telling us about you and your film?
I’m a female filmmaker who has been writing and directing for over 5 years now. I love working with all genres, but fantasy stories have always ignited my imagination because I can take the ordinary and transform it through surreal and fantastical lens.
Dream Merchants came to me in a single image: a young girl and a dark, shadowy monster surrounded by a sea of fallen stars. This fairy tale coming-of-age story focuses on Selena, a young, sheltered girl who is whisked far away from the world she knows as she goes on a journey with her father into the unknown. But in this magical world filled with wonders, there is something else lurking in the darkness: the very shadows are alive. Selena is suddenly forced to learn what she’s capable or become the monster’s prey as they try escape it’s nightmarish grasp.
Who else is involved in this project?
I’m particularly fortunate to be working with strong, experienced locals on this project as we pitch to storyhive. Vancouver is filled with such talented people that I’m proud that they love the Dream Merchants story as much as I do.
My producers are Manpreet Babra and Lawrence Davidson who have both produced a variety of stellar shorts (a couple of which are premiering at Cannes Film Festival). Their knowledge of the local film making scene here has been invaluable to the project.
Meanwhile my dynamic DoP duo, Andy Brown and Marco Bossaw, not only work as a part of camera crews on top tier productions but also founded their own production company Transmute Pictures and are constantly working on local short films. Their own short Bucketheads: A Star Wars Story is brilliant and hopefully coming out soon for everyone to see.
I’m excited to see who else will join the team if we get funded by Storyhive.
What would making this film mean to you?
I wrote the first draft of Dream Merchants 5 years ago and have been striving to make this script a reality ever since. My passion for filmmaking has always meant I’ve contributed my own money into the shorts I’ve written and directed, so the chance to get funding would be astronomical and elevate this script to an even higher standard of visual storytelling. I love the fantasy genre and truly believe that this fairy tale will be visually breathtaking short and resonate with our audience as they are transported on this journey.
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What film-related books or authors have been influential in your career so far?
I’ve had a rather unconventional career as self taught filmmaker. I’ve always been a much more practical and hands on director, learning from making mistakes and my experiences on other people’s sets. Instead I’ve drawn much inspiration from the works of Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro because for me they are masters of visual world building and fantasy. I’ve read and watch everything I could about their filmmaking processes and it’s really influenced my own career.
Where can we find out more about your film?
You can learn more about Dream Merchants through our social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also the Dream Merchants website DreamMerchants.me. Please help the fantasy become a reality by voting for us on Storyhive between April 3rd – 6th and join us on this adventure!
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Thanks to Aimie Willemse for speaking with us!
For more information about this project and the other Storyhive digital short entries, please visit Storyhive.com
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